USA Today covered the news of a new season of the Clone Wars in a piece called Admiral Ackbar stars in animated ‘Star Wars’ that gives us some really good info about the upcoming episodes and what it’s all about. Star Wars fans far and wide can get excited about this news. A snippet from the USA Today report: “The military amphibian from Return of the Jedi appears in the fourth-season premiere of Cartoon Network’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Friday night (8 p.m. ET/PT), although he’s a bit younger than he has been seen before. He’s just Captain Ackbar during the Clone Wars, which happen decades before he leads the Rebel Alliance’s assault on the second Death Star.” The USA Today report mostly focuses on Admiral Ackbar and his return to the series but they also mention Bo-Katan who Katee Sackhoff will be voicing later in the season….
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Five Stages of Star Wars Revisionism Fan Grief
I wonder how much of this is age related. ROTJ came out when I was three, so for most of my childhood we kids still loved Star Wars, but adults, having lived through the hype of the late 70s and early 80s, were pretty much sick of it. From about 1985 until 1995 there wasn’t anything Star Wars in the stores at all. Nothing. I got my Star Wars fix off of old Star Wars Marvel comics in the 25 cent bin at the local comic shop, and a couple of video games. It came on TV once a year, but mostly it was kind of a cult thing like Pulp Fiction; a good movie but that’s about it. Certainly not a major cultural force anymore. I remember being amazed when they announced the Thrawn trilogy; for a lot of us this was as close as we ever figured we’d…
Sneak Peeks at Star Wars The Clone Wars Season 4
Thanks to IGN.com we have nine brand new pre-release images of the upcoming fourth season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, including a first look at Karakarodon shark-man Riff Tamson and R2D2 and C3PO in full Gulliver’s Travels mode… Once more the character design team have got it spot on, and this fourth season is certainly looking good so far.
Another Update on the Star Wars Collection Blu-Ray
The release date is now so close I can almost taste it, and following last week’s revelations surrounding the specifics of the Blu-ray extras, we now have a little more detail as to what we will be getting when the collection arrives on shelves next month. So, here’s a handy list of stuff we now know, thanks to TheDigitalBits and StarWars.com: The image size has been increased According to TheDigitalBits, the original DVDs of the Prequel Trilogy used a reduced frame size thanks to the limitations of technology at the time, and that has now been addressed, as the images below indicate. The first is of the DVD image, and the second of the new Blu-ray: the size difference may not be huge, but it is definitely noticeable. 2. The image quality of the Prequels will naturally be bettered thanks to improvements in the technology of transferring from the source….
Brand New Star Wars Clone Wars Season 4 Trailer
LucasArts and Cartoon Network have released a new extended trailer for the forthcoming fourth season of The Clone Wars, and it looks to be another good, story-heavy addition to the franchise. The season is set to begin with an hour premiere, consisting of two episodes – “Water War” and “Gungan Attack” – which form two parts of a three ep story-arc (completed by the next week’s show). Within that arc we’ll be treated to a hugely impressive underwater battle scene (which I’ve seen and was blown away by) and the first appearance of fan favourite character, Captain Ackbar. Overall, the fourth season promises to ramp up the action, introducing new characters and a grander scale and retaining the high-octane thrills that the canon-building property has shown since day one. Here’s the trailer in full: Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 4 starts Friday 16th September in the US.
Star Wars Fan Movie Winner: Unlimited Power
Comic Con 2011 was a veritable moving feast of delightful nerdery – from new toys an merch unveilings to those over-subscribed panels and sneak peeks at upcoming films and games. And in amongst the cosplay devotees and the casual dorks alike, the winner of the Star Wars Fan Movie Awards’ prestigious George Lucas Selects Award was chosen and congratulated by a host of nerdy on-lookers. This year’s winner of the award, presented by Lucasfilm and Atom, was Los Angeles-based filmmaker Eliot Sirota for his film, Star Wars: Unlimited Power. The film isn’t your usual fan-made fare in that it doesn’t seek to tell a story of a different part of the Star Wars universe to those shown in both trilogies, preferring instead to take the fake marketing approach that serves many fan poster-makers so well. And it was a deserved winner in my book: The film-maker spoke to The Official…
Bringing Generations Together
I wrote yesterday about how SWTOR was set to be a game to span decades. It’s also a game that seems to bring generations together. I’ve actually met countless people when talking about SWTOR who say they will be playing with their children, parents, siblings and other friends and family. My mom is 50 and she’s a big Star Wars fan. She’s interested in the game because of the storyline. My 5-year-old plays Lego Star Wars on his DSi and is just as excited that mommy will be playing TOR. But we’re not the only ones who have seen that SWTOR can bring generations together. Hellsworn made a heartfelt and interesting post about it on the official forums recently. He says: “So I am a older player. in my mid 40’s. So Star Wars in near and dear to my heart as it brings back very fond memories of my…
Star Wars Blu-Ray Boxset: Teasing The Deleted Scenes
For Star Wars fans, there’s pretty much only one blu-ray release to pay any attention to at all this year, and the long-awaited high-definition treatment of George Lucas’ galactic franchise epic will finally land on shelves on September 12th in the UK. I’m in the lucky position where I’ll probably get hold of a copy to review early on, but for everyone else the prospect of having to wait just a couple of months will seem a yawning chasm of time stretching before them. So it’s with great pleasure we can bring you a teaser video of some of the Deleted Scenes to be included in the mammoth Complete Saga blu-ray release. I still maintain that the cover should have been better thought-out, but the following teaser at least shows promise of the exciting content within… Exciting times ahead what with SWTOR and this blu-ray about to land in the…
Star Wars XXX: Interview with Grand Moff Tarkin aka Eli Cross
The newest porn parody from Vivid and Axel Braun – Star Wars XXX – wrapped its filming a few weeks ago. Braun said he’s had fun shooting the movie but wanted to pay an homage to one of the most beloved sci fi franchise in the world. I caught up with Eli Cross script writer and producer of the movie for a short chat about the movie and Star Wars the old republic. First a few words about your self. How long have you worked in the industry, favourite projects etc. My stage name is Eli Cross. I’ve been in the adult industry for 21 years. I first ran the Castle Megastore in Arizona during it’s first expansion. Then, I was the editor of several adult magazines and I ran AVN, the adult industry trade mag, for 5 years. I’ve directed several big projects, but the three I’m proudest of are “Corruption” and…
Bantam and Del Rey STAR WARS novels Come to eBook Format
Today the library of Bantam and Del Rey STAR WARS novels will be available in all eBook formats at Random House. Beginning today, just as it was previously announced, you can get the entire catalog of Random House’s Star Wars novels on digital format. This is a great opportunity to enjoy all of your favorite books on your e-reader or even on your computer. Amazon’s downloads work on the company’s Kindle reader, as well as on any smartphone or tablet with a Kindle app. Barnes & Noble digital purchases are compatible with B&N’s Nook device. In celebration of the news, Del Rey’s Star Wars Books Facebook page has a fun trailer that’s really worth the view:
Producer Rick McCallum Hints At Star Wars TV Series Details
More news on upcoming Star Wars TV projects, as producer and long-term George Lucas collaborator Rick McCallum has given up some details to Czech Position about the long-awaited and hotly-anticipated live-action TV series. First up McCallum said that the show is likely to be shot at least in part in the Czech Republic, following on from “The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles” TV series, which was also partly shot in Prague and the upcoming Red Tails, which was mostly shot in the Czech Republic with a local crew. He then got into some more exciting territory, giving a little more info on the expected ETA for the project: The TV series is on hold, but that has nothing to do with the Czech Republic; it has to do with [the episodes being] so ambitious. We have 50 hours of third-draft scripts, but the problem we have is there is a lot…
Lego Star Wars Coming to TV In September
Odd but exciting news has just come to my attention (after it was announced at the recent Licensing International Expo 2011). According to ComingSoon.net LEGO Star Wars is set to land on screens this Autumn (likely late September) as a TV special. The site discovered the upcoming project thanks to the poster below, and announce that it will be based on the video game series, which is itself based on the TV show. Don’t think about that too much, it gets a little confusing. ComingSoon also ran with an official update on the upcoming Star Wars cartoon series: Today, George Lucas is hard at work on a second animated series that will complement ‘The Clone Wars’, taking ‘Star Wars’ in a completely new and fun direction. What with the release of the Star Wars blu-ray collection, and the 3D cinematic re-releases that I personally will only watch begrudgingly, it’s an…
Tickets Now Available: Star Wars Celebration VI in Orlando, August 23-26, 2012
If you’re gearing up for the Star Wars Celebration VI in Orlando, then you will be happy to know that tickets are on sale now. After the very successful event last year of the Empire-themed Star Wars Celebration V, they are throwing an even bigger party this year and now is your chance to get tickets. Star Wars Celebration VI is setting down August 23-26, 2012 back at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida! Official Celebration hotels have rates starting at $65 per night, making it more affordable for fans on any budget to make the trip. You can be among some of the first to get your tickets and secure your spot at this must-see event. A Celebration news release states: “We thank you for all your support and passion. It’s the fans who have sustained the Saga for all these years, and…
George Lucas has not shot 50 episodes of a ‘Star Wars’ TV series
Stories emerged yesterday morning about George Lucas that had Star War fans buzzing with excitement and a little confusion. According to Inside TV, the stories made a bold statement saying that Lucas shot 50 complete episodes of a live-action series for TV about Star Wars! That in itself may not be that hard to believe but what’s so amazing about this story is that if it were true, he had to gathered together the cast members and shoot this series, all 50 episodes, without anyone learning anything about it until after they were all completed. Now, that would be an amazing feat to accomplish. Lucas is known for operating and doing things in private at his “Skywalker Ranch” but this story seemed to be very far-fetched even for him. That’s a lot of episodes to put together without anyone noticing. It was also said that this TV series was packed…
All 106 Star Wars Books to Go e-Book Format
If you’re ready to get your Star Wars fix in an electronic book format, then you are in luck! Random House and Lucasfilm recently released the news that all Star Wars books will now be released as e-books. There are currently 30 Star Wars titles available via e-book. However, beginning June 28, all 106 will be available for download. Now it will be easier than ever to keep your Star Wars reading collection in one place. You can enjoy them on the go on your favorite e-reader and of course, you can also store them on your personal computer. It’s never been so easy to ready- and enjoy doing it! The Star Wars series of books have been so popular that not a single one has gone out of print in the 30 years since the first one was published. The books have been published under the Bantam…
Countdown Begins For Star Wars Blu-ray Details
Proving that there’s somebody out there that can generate worse puns than me, Lucasfilm sent an e-mail message out over the weekend hinting that all the details of the Star Wars saga Blu-ray sets will be revealed on May fourth. The e-mail points to the “May the 4th Be With You – Star Wars Countdown page” on StarWars.com. Underneath the timer is the simple phrase “All Will Be Revealed.” To spare you the math, the exact day and time for the reveal is Wednesday, May 4 at 9am EST/6am PST. Thus far all we know about the Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray is all six films will be available in a single box set as well as the prequel and original trilogies in their own box sets. LucasFilm has also confirmed that all-new deleted scenes will be included and previewed one featuring Luke at the beginning of Return…
May The Pork Be With You: Here Comes the Star Wars Porn Parody
The world of the Porn Parody has long held the distinction of featuring some of the greatest, and most creative titles in the entire movie industry landscape. Everyone knows the legend of such tongue-in-cheek (among other body parts) titles as Shaving Ryan’s Privates and Edward Penishands, and now something is even more exciting is happening in the world of filth. A couple of years back, Kevin Smith’s Zack & Miri Make A Porno focused on Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks’ attempt to make a Star Wars based porn flick, and now it seems that reality is about to mimic art with the release of a real XXX parody of George Lucas’ franchise. And it’s in lurid 3D no less! The news comes as star Kylie Ireland posted this photo of the construction of a landspeeder on the set – though to me it looks a lot like someone’s just stuck…
StarWars.com forums closing down
It’s official that the StarWars.com forums will be closing down. At the end of this month, they will become read-only so it’s time to save, copy or print anything that you deem important information because come Friday, June 3rd, it will disappear from cyberspace forever! An official announcement by Pabawan reads as follows: At StarWars.com, we are always evaluating the various features of the website in order to provide the best experience to our users. As we review new community-based interactive features for the future, we have decided that the Official Message Boards at forums.starwars.com will no longer be part of the site. April 2011 will be the last month of active message boards on StarWars.com. On Friday, April 29 the forums will be locked into a read-only mode, so that users can look through older posts and copy any they may wish to keep for posterity. On Friday, June…
Star Wars on Blu-ray release moved up to 9/16
StarWars.com is now confirming that the Star Wars Blu-ray box sets is being moved up to September 16th. Online retailers, like amazon have moved up their release date as well. Originally it was set for September 27, but for unknown reasons it was moved up one week. Check out the Official Trailer here:
3D Version of ‘Star Wars’ Gets a Release Date
Finally, fans can see Jar Jar Binks in glorious three dimensions. “Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace” has an official 3D theatrical release date. The first part in the space saga will hit theaters on Feb. 10, 2012, according to a Lucasfilm-operated site. Lucasfilm plans to release all six films in the series in 3D, with one coming out each year. The hope is to reintroduce the franchise to young audiences who have only seen “Star Wars” on TV and DVD. This isn’t the first time Lucas has revisited the original trilogy. In 1997, the director spent over $10 million up revising the movies he shot in the 1970s and 80s and inserting scenes and characters that exploited CGI technology. He also inserted new digital alien creations and inserted scenes — alterations that drew the ire of fans. The conversion to 3D was supervised by Industrial Light & Magic.
Revan almost appeared in last week’s episode of The Clone Wars
In a video commentary, on the Official Star Wars website, supervising director Dave Filoni explains how Darth Revan was supposed to appear in the episode of Clone Wars that was aired last week: “Ghosts of Morits”: We designed them. They are in The Clone Wars style. We modeled them in The Clone Wars style, and we shot the scene in the episode. The scene exists. But it never made it into animation, it only existed in layout. I was very apprehensive of this scene, as cool as it was, because the implication of it. Which is that, these Sith Lords could separate themselves from the Force, and somehow talk to the Son. George watches it, and he loved it, it was great. But eventually, I got a call from George. And he said, you know, I’ve been really thinking about this, and we should really take that scene out, with…
George Lucas Still Makes a Lot of Money Off ‘Star Wars’ Toys
In 2010, Lucasfilm broke its record for the most revenue gained from toy sales in a year without a Star Wars theatrical release, raking in $510 million dollars worth of action figures, space ships, and other assorted hunks of plastic. The Hollywood Reporter points out that, though there were no Star Wars films in theaters, the popularity of the Cartoon Network’s Star Wars: Clone Wars maintained a certain pop cultural profile for the franchise. Keep in mind that this is purely toy sales, and does not include the myriad of other merchandise from a galaxy far, far away. When George Lucas negotiated his contract to write and direct the first Star Wars film, he insisted on maintaining the merchandising rights, including toys, and 20th Century Fox readily agreed. At the time, studios didn’t view toy tie-ins as a meaningful enterprise. Lucas corrected their thinking, and you’ll notice that almost every…
Hello Star Wars Kitty?
Even though is just illustrations by the talented artist Joseph Senior, we can’t help wonder if this would be the image we see when looking up the word “adorkable” in the dictionary. Senior has also given Hello Kitty makeovers to other Star Wars characters like Darth Vader, Boba Fett, C-3PO and more: Check out his full sets of images here: My Hello Kitty Pop Culture series and Hello Robots collection
Star Wars Sci-fi Retro Mashups
Back in September 2008, a classic B3ta compo emerged: make sci-fi retro. In true science-fiction style, it’s high time for a sequel, so there’s a new batch of photoshopped images of the fantastical future, yesterday. Check out these great mashups of Star Wars, Futurama, and more! b3ta challenge: retro sci-fi: the sequel